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Get the Coumadin Cookbook!

Coumadin Book

This indispensable book includes:

• A primer on WHAT a Mediterranean-style diet is and WHY it's great for you
• 95+ delicious Coumadin safe recipes
• Information about managing your diet on Coumadin
• Ingredient and cooking tips throughout the book
• Complete Nutrition Facts, including Vitamin K content, for each recipe

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Note: This is a revised and updated version of Dr. Harlan's The Dr. Gourmet Diet for Coumadin Users. These are the same recipes with updated Nutrition Information, with the addition of information on a Mediterranean-style diet.

How Much Vitamin K is in...?

Find out the exact amount of Vitamin K (in micrograms) of almost a thousand common foods! Listed both alphabetically and then in order of the amount of Vitamin K in the food, this list will help you know exactly how much Vitamin K you're eating. Just $4.95 for the eBook (PDF) or $12.95 for the paperback. Get your copy now!

It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 
 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Is wheatgrass juice or sweetpea green juice safe for those taking Coumadin (warfarin)?

I have recently begun taking wheatgrass (1-2 oz daily) and sweetpea green (1-2oz daily) juice(s) along with carrot/celery juice (1-2 carrots + 1-2 stalks of celery). My wife takes 2-3mg of Coumadin daily. Can she join me in the benefits of these juices, perhaps in small degrees?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

a glass of wheatgrass juice along with raw wheatgrass on a wooden table

Wheatgrass is an interesting item. Folks really believe that it has properties that are far beyond what the claims could possibly provide. There's no science to back up such claims, unfortunately. I have repeatedly tried to find the nutritional content of wheatgrass, and what information is available is deemed unreliable by most sources (mostly because it is not considered a food source). It does not appear in the USDA standard database, for example.

It doesn't appear to be harmful - but then again there's no research to show that it might be good for you, either.

Sweet pea green juice has even less information.

As such it's hard to give you a good solid evidence-based recommendation on these. As a foodie and one who loves flavor, I don't find them palatable - and they are certainly an acquired taste.

Carrots do have a medium amount of Vitamin K and this could be an issue if she is not consistent with her intake. Two medium carrots come in at a pretty reasonable 16 micrograms (mcg). Adding that to the celery, which also is a bit higher at 12 mcg per stalk, and the juice comes in at 40 mcg. That's about half the RDA. Here's a column I wrote on The Right Dose of Vitamin K.

Consistency is key, however, and having the juice each and every day makes this safer, but if she's going to join you in your morning glass of juice check with her physician to make sure that her INR is monitored.

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet